This invention relates generally to electronic components as employed on printed circuit (PC) boards and is particularly directed to the mounting of a four lead power dissipating component on a PC board.
Electronic circuits are generally comprised of a plurality of components mounted to and coupled in circuit on a PC board which has a plurality of conductors on its surface, or surfaces, connecting the various components in circuit. The PC board provides support for the electronic components as well as electrical isolation between the components. The PC board typically includes a plurality of apertures through which the conductive leads of the various components are inserted and maintained in position for mounting the component to the PC board as well as coupling the component in circuit by solder connections. Assembly of the PC board requires precise positioning of each of the components to ensure that its conductive leads are inserted in the proper apertures within the PC board. Even with the increasing use of robotics for automatic component placement on the PC board, inaccurate component positioning continues to be a manufacturing problem resulting in PC board rejection and increased manufacturing costs.
Some electronic components operate at high temperatures and this presents another potential problem. These components are typically termed "power dissipating" components, with the multi-diode rectifier circuit perhaps the most common examples of such a component. In order to reduce potential problems arising from these high temperatures it is frequently desirable to mount a heat dissipating device, i.e., a heat sink, directly to the component. This provides efficient heat dissipation and affords cooler circuit operation. Because of the large amount of heat generated by the typical power rectifier, it is further desirable to physically isolate the rectifier circuit from the PC board in order to minimize heat transfer to the PC board. However, such arrangements in the past have been overly complicated and generally not amenable to high speed, mass production procedures.
The present invention addresses all of the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a spacer/mounting assembly adapted for the secure mounting and electrical coupling of a four lead power dissipating electronic component on a PC board. The spacer/mounting assembly not only facilitates positioning and placement of an electronic component such as a rectifier on a PC board, but also allows for enhanced heat dissipation and provides thermal isolation between the component and PC board.